Va. teen’s dad says break-in that lead to shooting was accidental

Caleb A. Gordley, 16, was killed inside his neighbor\'s Sterling, Va., home early Sunday morning. Gordley was a junior at Park View High School, and played for the school\'s varsity basketball team. (Courtesy of Shawn Gordley)

WASHINGTON – The father of a Sterling, Va., high school junior shot and killed inside a neighbor’s home early Sunday morning says his son accidentally entered the home after attending a party.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office says Caleb A. Gordley, 16, was shot by the owner of the home on the 45900 block of Pullman Court around 2:30 a.m. The house’s alarm sounded, and the homeowner found Gordley on the stairwell, police say.

Gordley, a Park View High School student, died on the scene. The homeowner’s name has not been released.

The sheriff’s office says Gordley lived on the same street where the shooting took place, and that they believe he entered the home through a window in the rear of the home.

Gordley had apparently been drinking, and a Twitter account that appears to be his did post about a party happening Saturday night.

Shawn Gordley, the teen’s father, made his comments on Twitter:

Let it be known that Caleb *accidentally* entered the wrong house after a party last night. #longliveprince

Grief counselors were at Park View High School Monday, where he was a junior and played for the school’s varsity basketball team.

“He was just a spark plug,” says Mike Koscinski, the school’s boys varsity basketball coach. “He came in and he was always positive, always energetic, always worked hard.”

He adds that besides playing on the school’s basketball team, Gordley was also interested in music, and posted several tracks to his SoundCloud page. He used the name Prince George, and his friends have taken to using the Twitter hashtag #LongLivePrince when posting about him.

The incident is still under investigation, and no charges have been filed. Investigators are still waiting for a final report from the county’s medical examiner’s office, which will determine if drugs or alcohol played a factor.